Forever
by pinkpanda376
Summary: This is the story of two people who never dreamed they would fall in love. Can they let go of problems their pasts and embrace a future together?
1. Chapter 1: Flashback

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this material, I left that to the stupendous J.K. Rowling.

Author's Notes: Ok, so this is my VERY FIRST fanfic, so try not to be to harsh of a critic, but PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE review me, I am desperate for feedback, especially from a certain Bubbles23

Chapter One: Flashback

Hermione knelt at the snow-covered gravestone, fighting tears as she looked at the words carved into it:  
>Ronald Bilius Weasley<br>Beloved husband, brother, and son.  
>March 16, 1980—July 27, 2003<p>

A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek as she remembered that day, the day she had lost everything.

A three-months-pregnant Hermione opened the front door to see a Ministry official standing on the front porch. "May I help you?"  
>"Are you Mrs. Hermione Weasley?"<br>"Yes, I am," she said.  
>"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, but your husband has had a terrible accident. He's in St. Mungo's. His Healer has requested that you come at once."<br>Hermione paled, holding onto the door for support. "Ron," she whispered. "No. Please, no. No, no, no, no, NO! NO! RON!" By the time she was done, she was screaming.  
>The official held out his arm to Apparate her there, and she took his arm with shaking fingers, forgetting her Healer's warning not to Apparate in her first half of pregnancy.<br>They landed in Ron's room. He lay, heavily bandaged and unconscious, on a bed. His face was the only part of him that was not bandaged, and he was unrecognizable; his skin was red and blistering, and one of his hands was missing.  
>Hermione rushed to his side. "Ron! Oh, what's happened to him?" she cried as the official left.<br>"Well, I assume you know he works at Gringott's, since you're his wife," the Healer said. After Hermione nodded, he went on. "He was attacked by a dragon. He was placing something in one of the high security vaults, and the dragon attacked him."  
>"Will he be all right?" she begged.<br>The Healer was silent. Finally, he spoke quietly. "With this much damage, he most likely has only a few hours left at most, perhaps only minutes. There's nothing more we can do for him; the burn ointment won't heal his wounds in time, there's too much damage for it to work quickly enough. I'm very sorry. I'll leave you alone to say your goodbyes."  
>As he left the room, Hermione began sobbing. She stared at his mangled face, willing him to open his eyes. His breaths were shallow, rapid, and uneven. She sat there for an hour, crying, until finally, he opened his right eye.<br>"Er…my…nee…" he croaked.  
>"I'm here, Ron," she whispered, taking his hand. "I love you."<br>"Kiss…me…" he managed.  
>Gently, she pressed her lips to his. His hand weakly touched her abdomen. She pulled back and put her hand over his.<br>"I'll always be with you," he said slowly, each word an effort. "I love you so much." He squeezed her hand weakly.  
>She broke down and began crying. After a few moments, his hand went limp and fell to his side.<br>"NO!" she screamed. "NO! NO, RON, NO!"  
>But all that was left was an empty shell, with one blue eye staring sightlessly at her face. She began screaming and crying, shrieking, "COME BACK! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME!"<br>Just then, Ginny and Harry rushed in with two-year-old James and baby Albus. "Ron!" cried Ginny, rushing to the other side of the bed. "No! Ron!"  
>Harry set down the children in an armchair in the corner and moved swiftly to Hermione's side and pulled her into his arms. She turned and screamed into his chest. She could feel his body shaking with sobs of his own.<br>Suddenly, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Not of grief; of agony. Her lower abdomen was full of sharp, stabbing pains that she had never experienced before. She clutched her stomach, shrieking with pain. Vaguely, she heard Harry shouting for a Healer, then everything went black.  
>Hermione awoke in a lumpy white bed. She was in an unfamiliar room; there was a chair in the corner, and a window overlooking a street in London. Harry was sitting in the chair, and a Healer was at the side of the bed.<br>"W-what happened?" she asked, having temporarily forgotten the incidents of the past half hour.  
>"Mrs. Weasley, you collapsed in your husband's room. Mr. Potter here called for help, so we were able to assist you immediately," said the Healer.<br>"Why did I collapse?" she asked.  
>"You had a miscarriage," said the Healer. "Caused by Apparation. Rare, but it happens."<br>Fresh tears flooded her eyes as she took it in. "No," she moaned. "No!"  
>Harry stood and came to her side, taking her hand. "Everything will be okay, Hermione," he said in a shaky voice.<br>"Does Ron know?" she whispered.  
>A look of dread came over Harry's face. He looked at the Healer.<br>"Temporary disorientation," the woman said. "She'll come around in a few minutes." She walked briskly out of the room.  
>"What? What happened?" Hermione asked through her tears.<br>"Hermione… do you not remember why you were here in the first place?" Harry asked softly.  
>Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember. Then, the past few hours' events slammed into her mind. She began crying again. "Ron! No! He can't be gone, he can't! I need Ron!" she screamed, breaking down into sobs.<br>Harry hugged her close. "I'm sorry," he whispered over and over.  
>Hermione couldn't bear it… she'd lost her baby.<br>And she'd lost her husband, the love of her life.

Hermione opened her eyes and realized that tears had frozen on her face. She brushed them away roughly with her gloved hand.  
>She continued to kneel there for some time, and eventually conjured a wreath of roses and laid them against the headstone.<br>Before she could get up, however, she heard a set of footsteps crunching through the snow.  
>"Granger?"<br>She stood and turned. "Malfoy."  
>Draco Malfoy was standing there, his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing here?"<br>"I'm buying a pony," she snapped. "It's a cemetery, Malfoy. What on earth would I be doing here other than visiting a grave?"  
>"Sorry, I was just surprised to see you here!" he said defensively. "Who are you visiting?"<br>"Ron," she whispered, feeling tears welling in her eyes. She turned and walked to a bench. She sat down hard, burying her face in her gloved hands. "It's been just over four years since he died. I lost my baby on that day, too."  
>"You and Weasel were going to have a kid?" His voice was incredulous. "Why would anyone want to marry Weasel, let alone have a kid with him?"<br>She glared at him. "Forget it," she snapped. "I don't know why you're talking to me. Why are you even here?"  
>"I'm visiting my mother," he snapped back. "And I don't see how it's any of your business what I'm doing here."<br>"Then why'd you ask me?"  
>"Because I was trying to be polite, but if you can't just accept a civil conversation, then leave me the hell alone!" he said angrily.<br>"Fine!" she snapped, stomping towards the street. "Up yours!"  
>As she reached the gate, she stopped and looked back. He was now kneeling before a white marble grave, his head bowed. She looked at him for a few moments, then headed down the street to Harry and Ginny's house.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Blame

Chapter Two: Blame

"Hey, Hermione," called Ginny from the kitchen as Hermione let herself in.

"Hey, Gin. How're you doing?"

"Okay. You?"

"I've been better, but I'm doing okay for the most part."

Ginny paused the chopping of carrots and read the look on Hermione's face. "You went to visit him today, didn't you?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Ginny kept scrutinizing her face. "That's not all. What happened?" she asked, going back to her chopping.

Hermione smiled. Ginny knew her so well. "I was at his grave, and I had a flashback from that day… Then, just as I was about to leave, all of a sudden, Malfoy turns up."

"Ouch!" muttered Ginny as she nicked her thumb with the knife in surprise. She healed it with a tap of her wand, then set the knife down. "Malfoy? What was he doing there?"

"He claimed to be visiting his mother's grave, and he was kneeling down in front of one when I was leaving."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"The usual—being an ass, insulting Ron… I told him to stuff it, and then I came here."

"I can't believe it! Malfoy! All of a sudden he just turns up out of nowhere? You'd think we would have seen him around here if his mum's buried here in Godric's Hollow."

"I know," murmured Hermione. "Maybe he's just visiting."

"I don't know," Ginny mused. "It seems very unlikely that she wouldn't be buried at the Malfoy Tombs, or the Black Tombs."

Hermione shrugged. "Why would he lie?"

"I'm not saying he lied, I'm just wondering why she's here and not at either of her family tombs. It's odd."

"Oh well," said Hermione. "I don't care what he does or why he's possibly lying. I don't care."

Ginny shrugged. "It's not our problem. Hey, would you mind helping me cut up the onions?"

"Can't you just do this?" Hermione asked, flicking her wand. The onion was immediately in neat, even pieces on the cutting board.

"Well, yes, but I'm trying not to rely too heavily on magic."

"Do you want me to do it?" Hermione asked.

"No, I can do it, but I don't like doing it too often."

"Then just do it when the meal you're making—like this, for instance—is complicated. After you get all this stuff into the pot, it still has to cook."

"True," Ginny agreed. She flicked her own wand and all the vegetables chopped themselves up and dropped into the pot along with the sauce and the meat. Within moments, the stew was bubbling.

"So where are Harry and the kids?" asked Hermione as she sat down with Ginny on the sofa.

"They went to the Burrow to play Quidditch in the orchard. The lawn here isn't big enough for much flying around, not to mention there are Muggle houses nearby. They should be back in a few minutes, I told them to be home by seven."

Hermione was quiet. The Burrow. That was where Ron had proposed to her, where they had had their wedding… she hadn't been back there since he had died.

Even now, in her best friends' house, she felt stabbing pains of resentment toward them and their children. This should have been the life that Ron and I had, she thought.

Not that she wanted to blame them, of course. She loved Ginny and Harry, she loved their three wonderful children, James, Albus, and Lily, but she couldn't help but think that it was their fault she was unable to let go and move on.

After a few minutes, Harry and the children arrived home. Hermione smiled and hugged them, but she was in another world, on autopilot to keep herself going.

Eventually, she realized that dinner was over and she was leaving. As she stepped out onto the street, she decided to visit Ron's grave one more time before going home.

As she entered the cemetery, she was shocked beyond belief to see that there was someone already kneeling in front of his gravestone. She knew it wasn't Harry, Ginny, or any of the children, because they were in their house, down the street. It wasn't any of the Weasleys, because they always came as a group.

She edged closer, moving behind a tree to avoid detection. As she peeped around the trunk, she saw a glint of white-blonde hair, almost blending in with the snow.

It was Malfoy.

What is he doing at Ron's grave? she thought. Malfoy had always hated Ron, and had made no secret of it. So why was he visiting his grave?

After a few minutes, Malfoy stood and left the cemetery, Apparating once he reached the street. Hermione moved from behind the tree, going towards Ron's grave. She looked at it, then looked at the marble headstone that Malfoy had been kneeling in front of earlier. Curious, she went to look at it.

Dennis Handler

May 11, 1945-December 16, 1973

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal

So he hadn't been going to see his mother. A few minutes' search told her that Narcissa Malfoy was not buried in Godric's Hollow. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure it out. After a half hour's speculation, she turned and went back to Ron's grave, stood there for a few minutes, then Apparated home.

She had nightmares of the day she lost everything.


	3. Chapter 3: Knockturn Alley

Chapter Three: Knockturn Alley

Hermione awoke and stretched. It had been nearly two months since she had seen Malfoy at the cemetery. She had dwelled on him for close to three weeks, but then let it go, going on with her lonely life, though he was never far from her mind. She thought of it for a brief moment as she got out of bed, but shoved it to the back of her mind. She had errands to do.

Within the hour, she was dressed and ready to leave. She Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, where she marched into the back alley and tapped the brick that would open Diagon Alley.

As she walked through the archway, she saw that Diagon Alley was crowded, full of witches doing Christmas shopping.

She wandered into Flourish and Blotts to look for a few new books, but, seeing nothing interesting, headed back out.

She bought what she needed at the market, then decided to pay a visit to Fred and George, not that she would buy anything.

The shop was, of course, packed with children and their disapproving parents, and teenagers with their friends, out for a little practical joke preparation. She saw a flame of red hair towards the back and knew that at least one of the twins was there; sometimes they left the manager, Verity, to run the shop when they didn't feel like coming in.

It was George, heading into his office. Hermione smiled and followed him. "Hi, George."

George turned from his desk. "Hermione!" he said, smiling and hugging her. "How are you?"

"All right," she smiled. "Looks like your shop's getting more and more popular every day!"

"Yeah. We've been having problems with Hogwarts students who have passed their Apparition tests sneaking out and Apparating here. Fred's run off at least four groups, usually containing the same few students."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Really? You and Fred disapprove of mischief-making?" she asked skeptically.

"Well, we usually let them make their purchases before running them off," he amended.

"Mmm hmm. Why am I not surprised? So how's Katie doing?"

"She's good. The Healer has her on bed rest, but it's only going to be a few more weeks before there's a new little Weasley." He smiled. "She sends me out at three in the morning because she's craving Chocolate Frogs, then when I get back, she doesn't want anything to do with them. Bloody hormones. I don't know how Dad could stand Mum through six pregnancies."

Hermione smiled around the lump in her throat. "Yeah, it's harder on her, I'm sure."

"How do you know?" George asked, then knowledge dawned on his face. "Oh! Damn. Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry. I completely forgot."

"It's all right," she said quietly. They continued to sit and talk for a few more minutes, then, since the shop was jam packed, she asked if she could do anything to help.

"I need a potion picked up from Knockturn Alley, but since Fred has the day off and Verity is sick, I can't leave the shop unattended. Would you run and pick it up for me please? I already paid for it, so you don't have to worry about that."

She narrowed her eyes. "What potion?"

"It's dangerous if swallowed, but if it's applied to the skin, it displays marvelous acne-curing abilities."

"All right, then. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Oh, and Hermione? Be sure to have your wand out at all times while you're there. There's all sorts that go through there," he cautioned.

"I'll be all right, I've been there before," she assured him before setting off. True, she'd been there with Ron, who wouldn't let anything happen to her, and Harry had been there too, and they had been under an Invisibility Cloak, but still, she knew what it looked like and what went on.

There were nine shops between Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Knockturn Alley: Ollivander's, Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Flourish and Blott's, the Magical Menagerie, Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, the apothecary, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and Twillfit and Tatting's. With a deep breath, she stepped into Knockturn Alley.

The difference between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley was shocking. The buildings were all black, with ghastly window displays, like baby acromantulas and shrunken heads. After a few minutes searching, she found the potion shop.

"Excuse me, I'm here to pick up a potion for Mr. George Weasley?" she said to the clerk.

He glared at her, then turned and headed to the back. Within a few seconds, he came back to the counter, the small bottle of potion in his hand. He handed it to her without a word, and she turned and left the shop.

Looking left and right, she couldn't quite remember which way she had come from. She settled for left, and set off in that direction.

After turning a few corners, she realized she was lost. Her sweating hand was gripping her wand in her pocket.

"Hello, there."

A voice spoke from the shadow of a wall behind her. She whirled. A burly wizard wearing all black stepped forward. "Expelliarmus," he said as she drew her wand. Nimbly, he caught it and put it inside his jacket pocket as he began walking towards her.

Her knees shook as she backed up. "Hermione Granger. It's been too long. Still an ugly little thing, aren't you?"

She backed into a wall and cringed as he approached. "Stay away from me." Her voice shook.

His smile widened. "Why, don't you want a nice high school reunion?"

"Keep away from me!" she said, her voice panicky, darting away.

His smile vanished, and his look became menacing. In a flash, he grabbed her and pinned her against the wall. She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, he hit her hard across the face. She fell to the ground from the force of the blow, but before she could stand, he grabbed her again and punched her in the face, again sending her sprawling on the rough cobblestones of the alley. He jumped on her and began pounding his fists as hard as he could all over her body. She screamed over and over, getting hit in the face each time.

Suddenly, there was a jet of red light as a third voice, a deep male voice, roared "STUPEFY!"

The burly wizard collapsed. Hermione was screaming and crying from her injuries. She was vaguely aware of her attacker being pulled off of her, of the tall figure leaning over her, and the stormy gray eyes looking into hers; but the most prominent things in her world were the stabbing pains all over her body. She felt dizzy, and her world faded to black as strong arms lifted her from the ground.


	4. Chapter 4: Rescued

Chapter Four: Rescued

Draco heaved the big man off of Hermione and leaned over her. She appeared to be nearly unconscious. He could tell she was severely injured and that she needed help, so he very gently picked up her limp form and Apparated to his house, holding her in his arms.

He hurried to his bedroom and set her down carefully on the bed, then Apparated to St. Mungo's. He returned in short order with a Healer, who asked him to step outside so she could examine Hermione.

Draco waited in the kitchen, trying to figure out why he was so anxious for her. They weren't even friends! Scratch that, they were enemies! So why had he been so terrified that she was dead? Why was he so worried that she would die, if she wasn't dead already? Most importantly, why had he rescued her? She was a Mudblood! And why had she been all he could think about since he had seen her at the cemetery in Godric's Hollow?

After a few minutes, the Healer came back out. "She'll be all right," she said. "She had a lot of broken bones, and some internal bleeding. I did my best to repair everything, but there could have been more damage. If any more arises, come fetch me immediately."

"Wait, wait, come fetch you? How am I supposed to know whether she's more injured or not?" Draco asked. "You don't mean to say she has to stay here?"

"She needs to stay in bed for about a week, and Apparating is too dangerous. She'll have to stay here."

"What? No!" Draco protested. "Why can't we take her back to her house?"

"Where does she live?" the Healer asked, and when Draco was silent, she answered, "Well, since it seems you don't know where she lives, we can't very well take her anywhere else. She is not to get out of bed except to go to the bathroom. Make sure she gets food into her system when she wakes up; she'll be very weak, and very sore. Am I understood?"

Draco nodded helplessly. "Thank you."

The Healer inclined her head and Disapparated with a loud crack.

For the next few hours, Draco found himself checking on her often. She was either asleep or still unconscious. At one point, he reached out and touched her hand, then, realizing who this was, he pulled his hand back as quickly as he could, knowing that if she woke and found him touching her hand, she'd hex him faster than lightning.

Her wand, he realized. Since she hadn't been fighting the burly wizard with magic, he had to assume that the wizard had her wand. A quick search of her bag confirmed his theory, and he Apparated back to Knockturn Alley.

The burly wizard was stumbling to his feet, clearly having just woken up. In a flash, Draco grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall. "You sick son of a bitch," he snarled quietly. "How dare you hurt an innocent woman? How dare you try to kill her? I should kill you right now with my bare hands."

"I'm sorry, man, I just lost it! It wasn't my fault, I didn't hurt her on purpose!" the wizard whimpered.

Draco's eyes widened at the sound of the oddly familiar voice. "Crabbe?"

Crabbe's eyes widened as well. "Malfoy?" he asked incredulously. "Good to see you, man!"

"No," Draco hissed quietly. "It's not. Hand over her wand, or I'll hex you."

"But Malfoy—"

"Now!" Draco snarled.

Crabbe pulled the wand from his pocket and handed it to Draco. Draco glared at Crabbe as he pocketed it.

"You're the one that Stunned me, aren't you?"

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did, otherwise she'd be dead." Draco's voice held nothing but cold fury as he stared at Crabbe, a menacing glint in his eyes.

"I can't believe this! You should be thanking me! Don't you know who that was?" Crabbe asked in a disbelieving voice.

"Yes, I do know who that was," said Draco. "It was Hermione Granger, and you almost killed her."

"Why do you care?" asked Crabbe. "You hate her!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but that still doesn't change the fact that she hasn't done a thing to you! Why in the hell would you try and hurt her?"

"She's a Mudblood," Crabbe snarled. "She's a piece of filth, she deserves to be hurt!"

"Don't you ever talk about her like that," said Draco in a low, deadly voice.

Crabbe stared at Draco. "I don't believe this."

"What?"

"You're in love with Granger! You're in love with a fucking Mudblood!" Crabbe roared with laughter.

"I'm not!" Draco snapped.

"Really? Then why did you stop me killing her?" Crabbe chuckled.

"Because, she doesn't deserve to be beaten to death just because she's a Muggle-born!"

"Yes she does! Seven years ago, you would have killed her without blinking; and now you're all about saving your life? Merlin, you even called her a Muggle-born, not a Mudblood!"

"You're a sick bastard, Crabbe," Draco said quietly. "I can't believe I ever hung round you at Hogwarts. I'm leaving, because if I stick around any longer, I'll kill you, and I'd rather not go to Azkaban, which is where you're going to end up after I report you, I'm pretty sure!"

"You don't have proof!"

"I have a Pensieve, and I have a memory of you pounding her until she was almost dead!" Draco snarled. "That'll be good enough for the Wizengamot!" Without another word, he spun on the spot and Disapparated.

Hermione awoke with a jolt, wincing as the movement pulled at her sore muscles. She stretched carefully, yawning. Then she sat bold upright, yelping as the movement set off several pains all over her body. Where was she? She didn't recognize this room. The last thing she remembered was being attacked by that man in Knockturn Alley.

But that wasn't the last thing she remembered, she thought suddenly. She remembered a tall, lean figure standing over her, then picking her up, after whoever it was had Stunned her attacker. Her heart began to race; who had it been? Had she been kidnapped by her rescuer?

She heard a door open and shut, and her heart began racing. For all she knew, she had been kidnapped, and was going to be murdered in a matter of seconds. She searched frantically for her wand, but remembered that the wizard had Disarmed her, and had left her defenseless.

Slowly, the doorknob turned, and she began shaking as it opened slowly.

Draco Malfoy poked his head in. "Oh, you're awake," he said.

"Mal—what the hell happened to me? Where am I, and why are you here?"

"You were attacked in Knockturn Alley, you're in my house, and I'm here because I live here."

"Okay, but why? Why am I here? Why am I not at my house recovering?"

"Because I'm the one that found you, and I don't know where you live. You have to stay here for a week."

"Remind me again why I should listen to you?"

"You don't have to listen to me, though you should, since I'm the one that saved your life, but you do have to listen to the Healer, who says you need to stay in bed for a week."

Hermione was quiet. Finally, she asked, "Where's my wand?"

"I just went to get it," he replied, tossing it to her. "He still had it."

Her heart started pounding. "Who was it?"

"Crabbe."

Her eyes widened. "Crabbe? Then why did you Stun him?"

"Because he was hurting you."

"So? You've hexed me before!"

"Yes, but I didn't mean to. If you're referring to when I gave you fangs in fourth year, I've got news for you—I was aiming for Potty, and you were in the way."

She was quiet again. "I still don't understand."

"What?"

"Why did you save me?"

"Because, it's not right for a man to hurt a woman. Yes, we're in modern times, and yes, there are plenty of assholes who beat their wives and girlfriends senseless, but I was raised with old-fashioned beliefs. I was taught to respect and never hurt a woman. I never have, and hope I never have to."

"Oh."

There were a few moments' awkward silence. Draco, remembering the Healer's words, asked, "Erm, would you like some soup and a sandwich?"

"That would be nice. I can make it, I don't want you to go to any trouble."

"You lie down!" he ordered as she swung her legs off the bed. "The Healer said you have to stay in bed. It's not going to take me very long, so just stay put!" He stalked off to the kitchen.

Hermione grinned to herself. The last time someone had spoken to her like that was when she had gotten in trouble for accidentally turning her mother's cat into a tea cozy at age twelve. She imagined that was how Draco would address his children later in life when they misbehaved. She smiled at the thought. They would be pale, with white-blonde hair and pale gray eyes like their father.

After a few seconds' speculation, she shook her head. Why was she thinking about what his children would look like? She was being absurd! The sooner she healed and was able to leave, the better.


	5. Chapter 5: The Kiss

Chapter Five: Kiss

Draco stood at the kitchen counter, magicking ingredients for tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. His mind kept straying to the girl in the other room. He pictured her puzzled face, not a common expression on her by any means. She was almost never puzzled by anything. But her expression... She had furrowed her brow, gnawing on her lower lip. He found it quite adorable. He lost himself in his thoughts, and was brought unpleasantly back to earth when he made to lean on the counter and instead grazed the steaming hot saucepan of soup with his hand. He gasped in pain as his skin reddened. He swore under his breath and healed it with a tap of his wand. Why was she constantly on his mind? It didn't make any sense!

After a few minutes, the food was ready, so he brought a tray to her. She sat up, leaning against the headboard for support. "Careful, it's hot," he warned her.

She smiled a little. "Thanks," she said quietly. "For everything you've done for me today. I owe you my life. If you hadn't showed up, I would be dead."

He bobbed his head in a semblance of a nod. "Don't mention it. I'll leave you alone to eat. Go back to sleep when you're done, the Healer said to get lots of rest."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you." She picked up the spoon from her tray and took in a spoonful of soup. It was delicious, even better than Mrs. Weasley's. Within fifteen minutes, she was finished with thefood and on her way to sleep.

Draco went to check on her after about 45 minutes. She was sound asleep, the tray on the nightstand. She was shivering in her sleep. He took the thick comforter and tucked it more securely around her. Smiling as he looked at her sleeping face, he was struck by how beautiful she was, and wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

Draco shook his head. No! he thought. I can't be having feelings for her! She'd hex you if you did anything to indicate that you like her!

He wandered out to the living room and sat down on the sofa, immersed in his thoughts. He had detested her since he was eleven years old, all through school. Nothing had ever changed, and he hadn't even seen her since graduation. The first he saw her after that was when he saw her at the cemetery...

The cemetery! he realized with a jolt. He had seen her crying. Not teenage tears of drama, real tears of utter grief, and he'd pitied her. He could never stand to see a woman cry, and he supposed seeing her cry had melted his hatred for her and allowed him to see past the prejudice, which had been the automatic response for him with any Mudbl-Muggle-born. He even regretted saying what he had said, which had made her cry more.

And now... He couldn't name the feeling coursing through every fiber of his being. He found himself protective of her, and wanting to know that she was out of harm's way, not to mention he felt like the wind had been knocked from his body when she looked at him, and that he felt dizzy when she smiled. The only thing he was positive about was that he'd never felt like this before...

After a few hours, Hermione awoke, feeling well-rested. She laid there and stared at the ceiling for a bit, then realized she needed to go to the bathroom. Carefully, she stood and made her way to the door, limping a little. She was relieved that the bathroom was right across the hall.

After she had finished, she exited the bathroom. As she stepped into the hall, her foot caught on a rug in the hall. She cried out, flailing for purchase as she fell with a thump audible throughout the entire house.

Footsteps thundered from the other room, and then Draco was kneeling by her side to see that she was all right. "Are you okay?" he demanded, checking for any more broken bones.

She nodded faintly. "Just sore like anyone would be after breaking most of the bones in their body."

Draco chuckled as he lifted her. "Why did you get out of bed?"

"I had to use the restroom," she explained. "My foot caught on the rug and I couldn't catch myself."

Draco cursed himself for being so negligent. "Damn. I forgot about you possibly needing to use the restroom. Next time, call me and I'll help you across the hall."

"That's ridiculous," Hermione scoffed as he set her down gently on the bed. "I'm not paralyzed, I'm just recovering from a few breaks. It's nothing to worry about."

"It is! What I'd you had fallen down a flight of stairs?" Draco asked. "Then you might have gotten hurt worse!"

"But I didn't!" Hermione retorted. "You're overreacting!"

Draco gritted his teeth. She was so stubborn. "I am not. And you'd better stay here and call me if you need to get up, or I will put a permanent sticking charm on you!"

"You wouldn't dare!" she snarled, snatching her wand from the nightstand. "Try it, and I'll put you in St. Mungo's!"

"I'm not scared of you," he informed her in a low voice.

She stood up and faced him. "Really?" she said in a low voice. She came closer and he backed up until he hit the wall, and still she kept coming, until her face-and wand-were inches from his face.

"If I may refresh your memory, I have beaten you at every single thing you have ever done, and I can add this to the list if you wish."

She had planned to say more, but her tirade was interrupted by Draco grabbing her face and kissing her.


	6. Chapter 6: Confessions

Chapter Six: Confessions

Hermione stood in a state of utter shock as his lips moved against her own. As soon as he had grabbed her, she had raised her wand, but now her desire to curse him into oblivion was melting rapidly. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing her wand to fall to the floor with a clatter.

Draco's arms had moved. One hand was cradling her neck, the other resting gently on her right hip. After several seconds, Draco pulled back, stunned by what he had done, with a facial expression to match. Hermione felt dizzy, and she stumbled backwards, nearly falling onto the edge of the bed. Her face was a fiery shade of scarlet as she looked into his stormy gray eyes, wondering what on earth had just happened.

Draco's mortified expression told her he had acted on instinct, not fully aware of what he was doing. His normally pale cheeks flushed pink, and he looked down at the floor, fighting the impulse to bolt from the room as fast as he could. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "That was completely out of line."

"It's all right," she said quietly, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Draco Malfoy had just kissed her.

"I just... Ever since I saw you at the cemetery, you're all I can think about. In Knockturn Alley when Crabbe was hurting you, all I could think was 'Not her, please not her'," Draco confessed. "I don't know why, but when I look at you, my heart skips a beat and I feel like I'm floating. And when you fell in the hall, I was concerned because the thought of anything bad happening to you terrifies me, and I want to keep you safe."

Hermione's shoulders slumped. "Everything. Every bad thing that could happen to someone has happened to me. My parents died in an earthquake when I was on my honeymoon with Ron. Then a few years later, Ron got killed and I lost my baby in the same day. I was so close to the happily ever after that I've read about in books, and when I was inches away from being the happiest woman on earth, it all vanished. And now I have absolutely nothing.". Her voice broke at the end and she began to cry.

Again, instinct took over, and Draco moved so he was sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. He cradled her to himself gently, and she turned and cried into his chest. "Shhh, it's all right," he assured her. "Everything's going to be okay."

"No it's not!" Hermione wailed, scooting back so that she was leaning against the pillows at the top of the bed. "I don't have anything! I have no family left!"

"What about the Weasleys?" asked Draco, moving to sit next to her. "You married Weasel, didn't you? Wouldn't that make them your family?"

Hermione shook her head. "I haven't said a word to any of then except Ginny, Fred, and George since he died. I never see any of the others. After he died, they kept inviting me round for dinner and things like that, but I was depressed and never went. They stopped asking after a few months. I see Fred and George whenever I'm in Diagon Alley, and I see Ginny all the time. She didn't give up on me like the others did, but still. I have nothing to live for. I'm like a broken mirror. I can be fixed, but there are always going to be signs that I was broken. And they will never go away."

Draco didn't know what to say. He hugged her close, and felt her shaking with sobs. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "But Hermione, you're so much more than that. You're not a broken mirror. You just hit a bad patch in your life. If you try again, it might work out. You just never know."

After a few minutes, Draco realized that she had fallen asleep against his chest, having exhausted herself. He tried to gently disengage himself so that he wouldn't disturb her, but stopped. Her small fist was gripping a handful of his shirt, holding him there. As he tried to move, she had snuggled herself closer to his chest. He smiled as he looked at the expression of peace on her face. She was so beautiful. He settled back into the pillows, since he apparently wasn't going anywhere. Cradling her in his arms, he drifted off to sleep.

Hermione awoke to find herself still in Draco's room, still cradled in his arms. A glance out the window told her that it was the next morning, and a system check told her that she needed to use the restroom again.

"Draco?" she whispered, poking him. "Draco?"

"Hmm?" he said, clearly still asleep.

"Draco, wake up," she said, poking him again.

"What?" he asked, his voice muffled a little by his pillow.

"I have to go to the bathroom, and you said you'd help me get there," she said. "By the way, why the hell are you in a bed with me?"

Draco's eyes shot open. He'd completely forgotten she was there. Oh Merlin, he'd been in there all night! He mentally slapped himself in the face as he sat up. "Right. Erm, sorry, I dozed off, I guess," he said

She smiled. "It's all right," she said.

He went around to the other side of the bed and hoisted her into his arms carefully. She clung to him as he carried her across the hall and set her on her feet in the bathroom. "Thanks," she said as he exited, closing the door behind him.

After she was finished, he again carried her across the hall, setting her on the bed. He seemed upset about something

"Draco... Are you all right?" Hermione asked tentatively.

He stood and went to the window. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"Ever since I saw you at the cemetery, I haven't been able to keep you out of my mind. You are all I have thought about for the past several weeks. When you got hurt... I was so terrified. I thought you were dead, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I cared. But now I know."

"Why?" Hermione asked softly. "You hated me all through Hogwarts. Why do you care now?"

"Because I love you!" he blurted unthinkingly. "I don't know why I do after I hated you for all those years, but I do love you."

Hermione was quiet. Draco knew without even looking at her that he had shocked her senseless, since she was almost never at a loss for words. He wondered if he had scared her by dropping this little bombshell. A glance behind him told him that her lower lip was tucked neatly between her teeth, her brow furrowed in the expression of her confusion.

"Do you... Do you really love me, or are you trying to trick me into something?" she asked suspiciously.

"I really do love you," he said softly, taking her hand. "I was wondering if, maybe, you'd want to go to dinner with me or something once you're all healed and stuff."

One look at her face told him that she was doing some thinking.

An internal debate was going on in Hermione's brain.

What if I said I'd give it a try? she asked herself.

What about Ron? replied a voice in her head. Her insides twisted painfully.

Ron... Ron would understand, she reasoned.

But would he understand if it was Draco Malfoy?

Well... Probably not, but I'm sure he'd want me to be happy.

Yes, but would he want you to be with Malfoy?

Ron would want me to be happy no matter who it was with! she yelled at herself. "I'd love to," she said quietly.

"Oh," said Draco, taken aback by her acceptance of his invitation. He had been sure that she would try to hex him or something. "How about on Thursday?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."


	7. Chapter 7: Date

Chapter Seven: Date

Hermione was turning her closet upside down to find something to wear. It was Thursday night, and Draco had said to wear something semi-formal, but he wouldn't tell her where he was taking her.

At half past seven, her doorbell rang. She hurried to the door and opened it to see him standing there in a light blue dress shirt that brought out hints of blue in his gray eyes. He whistled as he looked at her. "You look great!"

She had chosen a light pink dress with a soft floral print on it, and a matching cardigan. She blushed at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Shall we?" he asked, holding his arm out.

Hermione smiled as she took his arm. He Apparated them to the front of a restaraunt, labeled The Silver Unicorn.

"What?" Hermione gasped. "The Silver Unicorn? Don't you know how expensive that place is?"

"Yes." Draco was surprised by her reaction. "I've been here before."

"Then aren't you bankrupt?"

"No," he said, completely nonplussed.

"But... I don't understand! This place is way too expensive for us!"

"Relax, it won't be a problem. I can afford it. My grandfather left me his entire estate. Worth over eight hundred billion galleons, plus I have my trust fund. This won't even make a dent in the money in my Gringott's vault."

"Oh" was all Hermione could say. Draco smiled at her awed expression as she walked inside.

"Hi, is it just the two of you this evening?" the hostess asked.

"Yes," Draco said. "Reservation for Malfoy."

"Certainly," she said. "Follow me." She started walking towards the back door, and Draco held out an arm in the universal "Ladies first" gesture, and Hermione followed the waitress, Draco walking after her.

The waitress led them outside to the garden, where there was a table in the center of a cluster of rose bushes. Two silver dome platters were in front of the chairs. A bread basket, a bottle of red wine, and a vase containing a single red rose also sat upon the table.

"Oh!" Hermione whispered as the waitress walked away.

"Do you like it?" Draco asked hopefully. "I tried to make sure I remembered everything. I wanted to make tonight special."

"You did this?" she asked, surprised. "You made this happen?"

"Well, sort of. I didn't have time to do it myself, but I asked the restaurant workers to do it. I wanted tonight to be special, make it special for you."

She turned and looked at him with shining eyes. "Oh, Draco, it's amazing!"

"You like it?" His face lit up, and she could see how much he wanted her to like it.

"It's wonderful. I love it." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

He seated her in the seat nearest to an apple tree a few yards away. She smiled at him as he sat down across from her.

"Voilà," he said, vanishing the lids with a flick of his wand. On the plates were lasagna, chicken, and salad. The wine poured itself. Hermione smiled at the man across from her, thinking life couldn't be more perfect. It had been five years since she had last thought that, and she embraced the change.

Draco, meanwhile, couldn't believe that she was here, with him. He had been thinking about her for the past four days, literally dreaming about the next time he would see her. And she looked more beautiful now than she had in every single one of his dreams.

"So how was your week?" Hermione asked conversationally as she unrolled her silverware.

"Long," said Draco. "I couldn't wait for tonight. It was all I could think about."

"Me, too. I was really nervous this afternoon."

"About what?" Draco asked.

"Just nervous is all. I haven't had a date since I was seventeen."

Draco smiled. "I've never been on a date before," he confessed.

"Really?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Yeah. My father never let me have a girlfriend. He said I needed to focus on business, you know, live up to the family name."

Hermione frowned, swallowing a bite of the lasagna (which was fantastic). "Shouldn't that be your decision?" she asked.

"Now it is, but he wouldn't let me until I moved out. Speaking of moving, how's your leg?"

"It's better," she replied. "It doesn't hurt anymore unless I have been standing or walking for hours at a time. I did that once, I was cleaning house all day on Sunday."

Draco chuckled. "Always pushing it, aren't you?"

Hermione grinned, plucking a breadstick from the basket and nibbling on the end. "Yep. I'm an overachiever. Didn't you learn that at Hogwarts?"

"Well, yes, but I had my own terminology for it."

"Which was?"

"There were a few, but I'm not telling you."

"What were they?"

"I'm not telling you, they were rude names," Draco said, taking a bite of the chicken. "Okay, fine. Know-it-all, teachers' pet, nerd, geek... Rude names."

"For a ten-year-old, maybe," Hermione smiled. "Typical," she said. "Typical Malfoy."

Draco grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's all right. It was a long time ago." Hermione smiled at him gently to show that she wasn't offended.

"I still feel bad though," Draco muttered, taking a sip of wine. "If I had known then how pure and sweet and amazing you were-and are- then I would have been on my knees, begging for your hand a long time ago."

"Even though I'm a Mudblood?" she asked curiously.

Draco gripped her hand firmly. "Don't ever call yourself that," he pleaded. "It's a horrible term, and every day, I regret that I ever called you one. I'll regret it until the day I die."

Hermione didn't know what to say, so she simply took a bite of salad.

Draco could see that the conversation was turning awkward for her, so he asked her if she liked the food.

"Oh, yes," Hermione said. "I love everything, it's so delicious! I've never tasted anything like it!"

"I didn't know what you'd like. I do know that the man will do whatever it takes to make sure that the woman is happy, and I know that a lot of men take their dates to Italian restaurants, so I put two and two together and came up with the generalization that all women like Italian food."

Hermione smiled. "Not all women, but I happen to be in the range of your generalization."

"Oh, good. I was worried about you hating the food," Draco told her.

"Well, I don't hate it," she said. "I love it."

Draco smiled at her. "So I never asked you... How was YOUR week?"

"Busy. I had work all week."

"What do you do?" Draco asked, realizing that he had no idea.

"I work at the Ministry. Part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I do my job from home. I go over case files and decide what should be done to handle them, whether to arrest, fine, or let off with a warning."

"Really?" Draco asked. "I would have pinned you as a Healer or in the Department of International Affairs."

Hermione smiled. "Where do you work?"

"I work directly for the Minister of Magic. Like my father did. I actually have his old job."

"Oh. So you see Kingsley often?"

"Yeah. Do you know him?"

"Yes. He was in the Order with me and Harry, and... and Ron." Hermione winced a little as she said the name.

"Hermione, are you all right?" Draco asked.

"Yes, yes," she assured him quickly. "I'm fine. So anyway, keep telling me about your job."

"Well, I deal mainly with your department. I'm surprised I haven't seen you there, actually. I talk to Potter most of the time. I'm surprised he's not an Auror."

"Well, he was, then they promoted him. He used to be the head of the Auror Office."

"What does Ginny do?" Draco asked.

"She's a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies," Hermione said.

"Oh, that's right," Draco remembered. "I'm not really a Harpies fan, I forgot."

Hermione grinned. "I'm not a big Quidditch fan at all," she said.

"What? You aren't a Quidditch fan?" Draco's voice was incredulous as he refilled the wine glasses.

"Not really," said Hermione as she speared a forkful of salad. "I've never even been on a broomstick."

"I plan on doing something about that," he informed her.

She paled. "No! I'm afraid of heights!" she said shrilly.

Draco smiled. "Relax. If it scares you that much, I won't make you."

"You better not," she said warningly.

Shortly after that, their dessert arrived (chocolate chip cheesecake). Hermione felt so full she thought she might burst, but she managed to eat her piece of cheesecake.

Draco paid the bill, then stood. "I have another surprise for you," he told her with a smile. He held out his hand.

She stood and hesitantly took his hand. He held on tight as he Apparated them to the place he had prepared.

"Oh, Draco!" she whispered as she looked around.

He had taken them to a tiny rose garden. The rose bushes were filled with fairy lights. A small fountain was in the center of the garden. Hermione looked around her at the beautiful place. "Did you do this?"

Draco smiled and nodded. "Do you like it?"

"Absolutely!" Hermione gasped, looking around, wonderstruck. "It's so beautiful!"

Draco smiled. "It's yours."

She turned to look at him. "Mine?"

"Another generalization. All girls like roses."

Hermione smiled. "You do know that there is a book about these things."

"There is?"

"Yes. Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches."

"Where'd you hear about it?"

Ron's face swam before her eyes. "Harry has a copy," she said evasively. A copy that Ron had given him.

"Ah. Maybe I'll get myself a copy next time I'm in Diagon Alley."

Hermione grinned. "While that may be helpful to you, I think it's cheating. A woman won't appreciate it as much if she knows that you didn't come up with the idea on your own. She'll appreciate it more if it's a gift from the heart. Like this. It's amazing. Nobody's ever done anything like this for me. By the way, where are we?"

"We're in your backyard. This place has an enchanted entrance. All you do is press your palm on the wall above your little rose bush. It will open only for you or me. And it will only open as long as we are still together. If we break up for any reason, it won't allow me to enter."

"Why?"

"It's enchanted. It's literally your own personal area. The fountain in the corner is a magic fountain. If you are ever distressed, look into it and you will have a dream that tells you what to do to solve your problem. It will only work for you."

"So... This place belongs to me?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Draco said. "Actually, regardless of whether or not we are together, it won't let me in if you don't want me in."

"So if I was mad at you..." Hermione mused.

"If you wanted to be alone, it wouldn't let me in. It's your own space. If you don't like roses, I can change them for something you like."

"No, I love roses, it's just..." she trailed off.

"What is it?" Draco asked gently.

"It's just... strange."

"What is?" Draco asked.

"I just... I've never been that girl."

"What girl?"

"The one that the guy wants. The one that the guy would do anything for. Now I've had it twice, and it just doesn't seem real. I feel like... I feel like I'm so close to happy ever after, and it's gonna slip away like it did last time."

Draco held her in his arms as she began to cry. "I'm not going anywhere, Hermione," he assured her as he kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting Mr Malfoy

Chapter Eight: Meeting Mr. Malfoy

After they had been dating for four months, Draco decided to take Hermione to meet his father. He told her so as they sat together in her little rose garden.

"Will he like me?" she asked fearfully.

"I'm sure he will," Draco said, kissing her cheek. "Now that I have a steady job, he's been pestering me to find a woman and settle down."

"All right. When do you want to go?" she asked.

"How about tomorrow night?" Draco suggested.

"That sounds fine. What should I wear?"

"Something casual, but still nice. We'll be going to the Manor for dinner, I expect. I'll talk to my father and see if he's available. I really want him to meet you."

Hermione smiled. "All right. Let me know what he says."

The next night, Hermione waited in her living room for Draco to come and pick her up, since she has no idea where Malfoy Manor was. She had decided to wear her favorite blouse-a ruffled pink shirt with a white lace tank top underneath. She wore nice jeans and sandals. At six fifteen, Draco was on her doorstep to get her. "You look very nice," he told her with a grin.

She couldn't help but smile back as she took his offered arm so that they could Disapparate.

They landed in front of an enormous black mansion. The front walk was paved in dreary gray cobblestones. The hedges were fifteen feet tall, and all trimmed uniformly. Hermione felt small and intimidated as Draco led her to the front door, which swung open to admit them.

"Come on," Draco said. "The dining room is this way."

She followed him through the oak-paneled hallways, past dozens of portraits with cold, gray eyes that watched her as she walked past. Like Draco's had been when they had first met. She shrank into him, frightened.

"It's all right," he murmured, patting her back. He pointed out a door on the right. "That's the bathroom, if you need to go at all." A few more portraits later, he opened a heavy wooden door, also made of oak, to reveal an ornate dining room. A man with long, white blonde hair sat at the end of the long, cherrywood table. He stood as they entered.

"Ah, this must be Hermione," said the man, coming to shake her hand. "A pleasure. I am Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father."

"It's very nice to meet you," she said shyly. "You have a beautiful home."

"Ah, well, a Malfoy must have the best," he said, dismissing the compliment with a wave of his hand. "Please, sit."

Draco held out a chair for Hermione, to the left of his father. She smiled at him as she sat.

As soon as Lucius was seated, a trio of house elves carried in three large, silver plates of food. One was placed in front of each of them. The elves bowed low, then vanished.

Hermione looked at the tray before her. There was a large, juicy steak, a baked potato, a portion of green beans, and a side salad.

"Tuck in, tuck in," Lucius said with a wave of his hand. Hermione unrolled her napkin-which was made of white silk-and put it in her lap.

"So, Hermione, tell me about yourself," said Lucius as he took a bite of steak.

Hermione swallowed the bite of salad she had taken. "Well, I was born in London in 1980. When I was eleven, I got my letter to Hogwarts and began attending there." She deliberately glossed over the part where her parents were Muggles, not knowing if he would approve. "I met Draco on the first day of school. We were both first-years." Hermione smiled at Draco.

"A longtime school romance?" chuckled Lucius.

"Not exactly," Draco grinned.

"Well, you're together now, and that's what's important," Lucius smiled. "Now Hermione, where are your parents now?"

Her throat tightened painfully around a swallow of green beans, and she felt tears gathering her eyes. "Please excuse me for a moment," she said, getting up and bolting for the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" asked Lucius.

"Her parents died not too long ago," Draco explained quietly.

"Would I have known them?" asked Lucius.

"No," said Draco.

"Why not? I have lots of connections."

"Her parents were Muggles," Draco said.

Lucius dropped his silverware. "They were what?"

"Muggles," Draco repeated. "Hermione is Muggle-born."

"You're dating a Mudblood?" Lucius snarled. "Have I taught you nothing?"

"Father, you can't possibly be objecting to our relationship simply because she's Muggle-born?" Draco asked coldly.

"Draco, she is a Mudblood!" Lucius spat. "She is filth, and I can't believe you even let her in the house! All Mudbloods should be arrested and sent to work for the purebloods! The proper place for her is the sewer!"

Draco didn't say anything.

"I cannot believe this!" Lucius roared, flinging his plate at the wall. "After all I have done for you! I raised you! I taught you well, and the most important thing I ever taught you was to never associate with Mudbloods or Muggles! You are a traitor!"

Draco said nothing. Lucius' eyes flicked upward, to a point behind Draco. Turning, Draco caught a flash of brown hair and a streak of pink. He turned to glare at his father, then ran after Hermione.


	9. Chapter 9: The Breakup

Chapter Nine: The Breakup

"Hermione!" he yelled, trying to catch her before she got to the gate, which was where the Anti-Disapparation jinx ended.

With about fifty feet to spare, he caught her around the waist and pulled her to a stop. "Hermione, stop!" he shouted.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed. "Don't touch me! We're through!"

"Hermione, please!" Draco pleaded. "Please wait!''

"Why?" she screamed, her hair flying as she whirled. He could see that her face was red, puffy, and streaked with tears.

"Please, Hermione, just listen to me!"

"Why on earth should I listen to you?" she yelled, trying to pull away. "What, do you want to rain more insults down on me, keep telling me how I'm not good enough for you? Because I don't need telling twice! I'm not good enough for you, you and your father made that quite clear!"

"Hermione!" he shouted. "Stop and listen to me! I love you! I want you!"

"I don't even know why you keep lying, pretending you want me! I'm a Mudblood! I'm lower than mud, lower than dirt, and I belong in the sewers, according to you and your father!" she cried, still trying to pull away.

"Don't call yourself that!" he pleaded desperately, cradling her face in his hands. "I would never say that about you, I love you!"

"I heard you and your father talking! I heard what he said about me! I know how you both feel about me, about Mudbloods!"

"But I don't feel that way!" Draco cried, struggling to keep her from running away. "I might have at one point, but now, I don't, and you mean everything—everything—to me!

"Really?" she cried. "Then why didn't you say a single word to defend me?"

Draco was silent. He knew she was right. That would be how it appeared to her, but she wouldn't believe him if he explained the truth. That his father would kill Hermione to "keep the bloodline pure" as Lucius would put it.

Hermione jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I never want to see you again!" she screamed through her tears.

Draco, who had tried to grab her again, dropped his hand, stunned. She made the most of his shock and ran for the gate. He tried to catch her, but she had a head start, and his legs felt like lead. He Apparated to her house, and let himself into the backyard using the Alohomora charm.

Her bag was in the middle of the grass, so he knew she was here. And he knew where she'd be.

He ran out to the rose tree and pressed his palm to the wall. It didn't open. He pounded his fist on the wall. She didn't want to see him, and the wall was not going to let him in. All he could do now was hope that whatever dream she had would make her realize that he loved her more than anything, so that maybe, just maybe, she would talk to him.

Meanwhile, Hermione was kneeling at the fountain, sobbing her heart out. She couldn't believe that after all the times he had told her he loved her, he hadn't defended her. Her heart was breaking, and she knew that they didn't have a chance anymore. She looked into the fountain, and it showed her Draco's face. Then her own face next to his. Then both of them, embracing each other.

She stared at the water until her eyelids grew heavy.


	10. Chapter 10: The Dream

**Chapter Ten: The Dream **

Suddenly, she wasn't at the fountain; she was in the apple orchard at the Burrow. And a very familiar redhead was strolling towards her, hands in his pockets.

"Ron!" she whispered, stunned.

"Hi, Hermione," he said with a smile.

"Oh, I've missed you so much!" she cried, throwing her arms around him.

"I've missed you too," he said quietly.

"It's been so lonely since you died," she said. "I...I have something to tell you."

"I know about the baby," Ron said. "It wasn't your fault."

"You know?" she asked, astonished.

Ron nodded. "What I don't know is why you are so upset. Draco loves you, Hermione."

She paled. "You know about me and Draco?"

Ron chuckled and nodded. "I know everything about you."

"Oh," she replied, frowning. "If he loves me, then why didn't he defend me when his father said all those horrible things about me?"

"Hermione, answer me this. When you used to read under the covers at night when you were little, were your parents upset?"

"Yes."

"And what was the first thing they did when they found out?"

"They gave me a chance to stop on my own."

"But you argued. So what did they do?"

"They took away my book." It took her a minute to understand. "Oh. I'm the book in this scenario?"

"Exactly. So what does that mean?"

"He didn't argue, because if he had, It might have made things worse," she realized. "He does love me. He was trying to protect me." And then all she wanted was for Draco to be there, holding her hand.

"As any man should do for the woman he loves," Ron said gently.

"But... What if he's angry with me?" she fretted.

"He can't be angry with you," said Ron quietly. "It's not possible. He loves you too much."

Hermione heard the pain in his voice. "Oh, Ron..."

"It's all right," he assured her. "I just want you to be happy. I don't want you to be living a lonely life anymore. In a way, he's given more to you than I ever could. And I only want you to be happy."

She hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

He smiled a little. "Who would've thought...you and Malfoy!" he said. "Scandalous!"

"Shut up, Ron," she said, turning pink and swatting at him, just as she would in real life.

He smiled. "I have to go. I only had a few minutes to come back." He stood and began to walk away. After a few steps, he paused. "Remember...be happy." And then he was gone. Hermione was back in her little garden. She realized it had only been a dream.


	11. Chapter 11: The Proposal

Chapter Eleven: The Proposal

"Hermione?" A quiet voice spoke nearby.

"Draco!" she said, sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face.

"Hermione, please let me explain!" he said quickly. "I couldn't defend you from my father. Had that been anyone else saying those things about you, he'd probably be dead now, because I would have killed him. But with my father, I can't fight him and win. If I had fought for you, he would have killed you, to make sure that we were over for good. I was protecting you by keeping quiet. I love you, and I don't want us to be over. So..." He knelt down on one knee and pulled a small black box covered in velvet from his pocket. "Hermione Jean Granger... Will you marry me?"

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "Oh, Draco! But what about your father? He'll never speak to you again!"

"I dont care! I don't care what he does! The only thing I'm worried about is letting the love of my life slip through my fingers simply because I was a prat!"

"But Draco...he'll come after us!" she whispered fearfully. "He'll try to break us up, he'll try to kill me!"

"I don't care!" Draco said fiercely. "I won't let him hurt you, ever! Please, say yes!"

"I can't," she whispered. "I'm not good for you. I'm a Mudblood, and I would only be ruining your life if I married you."

"Don't ever call yourself that!" he said angrily.

"You used to," she replied.

"Before I realized how sweet and caring and beautiful you are!" he said desperately. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm the Mudblood for being so horrible to you all those years! Please, Hermione, I love you! More than anything in the world!"

She saw the honesty in his eyes. His eyes, so pale they always looked silver, were so full of tears and emotion that she could see that they were not silver at all, but light blue.

"All right," said Hermione. "Then my answer is yes."

Draco looked up at her, shocked. She was usually so stubborn! "Did—did you say yes?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Draco's face shone with happiness as he picked her up and twirled her around. "I love you!" he whispered, kissing her.

Hermione smiled at him as he set her down. He pulled open the box to reveal a glittering diamond embedded in a silver band. It was flanked by two smaller diamonds, and was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

"Oh, Draco!" she gasped. "It's beautiful!"

"A beautiful ring for a beautiful girl," he replied, smiling as he slid it onto her finger.

She looked at her left hand and her eyes filled with tears.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco asked, taking her into his arms. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, it's just... The last time I was engaged and got married, he died after we had been married for two years. I just can't stand the thought of going through that again!"

"You won't have to," Draco assured her, stroking her forehead. "I promise I won't ever leave you. I will always be here for you."

Hermione smiled as he wiped away her tears. "I love you."

"Good, because now we get to spend the rest of our lives together." Draco sealed it with a kiss.


	12. Chapter 12: Plans

Chapter Twelve: Plans.

"No!" Lucius roared, flinging the copy of the Daily Prophet across the room, where it hit the wall and fluttered to the floor. Lucius crossed the room in a fury and stared at the picture of his son, who had his arm around his new fiancée, the Mudblood.

"Traitor!" Lucius snarled, throwing the paper into the fire. He couldn't let this happen. He picked up a quill and started writing.

"So when do you want to get married?" asked Draco.

"Probably in June," Hermione said.

"But that's only two months!" Draco said, astonished. "Do you know how much time and effort a wedding takes?"

"Yes," she said, looking down at her lap.

"Oh, damn," Draco said, remembering. "Crap. Oh, crap. Hermione, I'm so sorry," he said, mentally smacking himself.

"It's all right," she murmured, still looking down. "So, um, who do you want in the wedding party?"

"Most likely Blaise-you would know him as Zabini-as my best man, and then... I can't think of anyone else. I don't have any other real friends that I would want up there with me. I'm guessing you would want Ginny?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "I don't know who will give me away. I guess I'll walk down the aisle by myself."

"Understandable," Draco said soothingly, remembering that her father was dead. "Cake?"

"Do you like chocolate?" she asked hopefully.

Draco chuckled. "Love it."

"Okay, then I would say five tier, chocolate with chocolate filling, white frosting-"

"Shush, you're making me hungry!" Draco told her.

She giggled. "Can we have Italian food at the party?"

"We can have whatever you want," he said with a laugh.

"I'd like to have the color be light pink," she continued. "Flowers. Roses, lilies, and cherry blossoms would be good."

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" Draco asked with a grin.

Hermione nodded. "Last time, my mum and Ron's mum did everything. The only things I got to do were pick colors and bridesmaids."

"Well, you get to do it all now," Draco reminded her.

She smiled. "I already have it all," she replied, kissing him.

The weeks passed quickly. Too quickly, Lucius thought. He had had to work fast to come up with a plan, organize it, then put it into action. He had contacted people whom he knew would help him. He surveyed the group assembled before him, and announced his plan.

They were going to break up that wedding.

He had recruited Viktor Krum, Astoria Greengrass, Crabbe, Goyle, marcus Flint, Theodore Nott, and Pansy Parkinson. They had all agreed to do whatever it took to stop the wedding.

Including murdering the bride.

"Ooh, I like that one!" Ginny said as Hermione came out of the fitting room.

Hermione twirled in the long white gown. "I don't know. It's too...sparkly. I don't really like it."

"Well, there's still one more," Ginny said, handing Hermione the last dress. "Try it on."

Hermione took the dess and vanished into the fitting room. A few minutes later, she stepped out to go to the mirror.

"Oh, Hermione!" said Ginny in a hushed voice. "Oh, you look beautiful!"

Hermione stared at her reflection. She looked dazzling. The dress was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and lace bodice. The skirt was big; it had dozens of layers of tulle, a few gems sprinkled throughout it, where they subtly sparkled.

"Oh, this is the one!" Hermione whispered. "This is my wedding dress!"

She took it off and paid, while Ginny returned the other dresses to their racks.

"I can't believe I'm getting married!" Hermione told Ginny as they left the shop.

"I can't believe it's Malfoy!" Ginny said, shaking her head. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're happy, but Malfoy? Really?"

"Yes, really," Hermione said. "I know he was a jerk before, but...he's changed. Why else would he and I even look at each other without glaring, let alone be getting married?"

"That's true, I guess," Ginny allowed. "But still. It's just so weird! I mean, in your third year, you punched him in the face! It's just weird."

Hermione smiled. "Well, you're stuck with me, so you'd better get used to the idea. The wedding is in two weeks."

Ginny sighed. "Where are you going on your honeymoon?"

"Hawaii. It's on the west coast of America."

"I know about Hawaii," Ginny said. I wanted to go, but we couldn't afford it."

"Oh. Well anyway that's where we're going.". Hermione sighed as she saw another newspaper. "I wish Draco hadn't put an announcement in the Daily Prophet."

"Aww, it was cute," said Ginny.

"I thought you didn't like him?"

"I don't, but am I wrong?"

"No," Hermione said. "It was cute. But I don't like being brought into the center of public attention."

Ginny laughed. "Hey I'd better get going, I told Harry I'd be home by three."

"Okay," Hermione smiled. "Don't let Harry see your dress!"

"Oh, he won't get anywhere near it," Ginny assured her. "You don't let Ferret see yours."

"I'll put a charm on it," replied the older witch. "See you in two weeks."

Two weeks, she thought. I'll be Mrs. Draco Malfoy in two weeks.

She could hardly wait.


	13. Chapter 13: The Wedding

Chapter Thirteen: The Wedding

Hermione stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked stunning, breathtaking. Ginny, who was helping her get ready, told her as much. She tried to make her breathing slow and even. Deja vu was taking over, and she was afraid she would faint.

"Okay, Hermione, take deep breaths!" Ginny told her. "Um, here, have some water!" She thrust a cup of water into Hermione's shaking hand.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered. "I'm scared!"

"I know, Hermione. But Draco loves you, and you love him! That's all that matters!"

Hermione nodded, drawing a shaky breath. "When do we go down?" The wedding was being held at Hogwarts, as neither knew where else to go.

Hermione sat nervously on her old bed in the Head Girl's dormitory. Draco had been Head Boy. How ironic, she thought.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes' pacing and worrying, Harry entered.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Giving you away," he replied with a smile. "Draco asked me to, as a surprise to you."

"Since when do you call him 'Draco'?" Ginny scoffed as Hermione began to cry.

"Shh!" hissed Harry. "It's time for you guys to come down. The music's about to start."

He pulled a weeping Hermione to her feet as Ginny grabbed both bouquets. "Come on, and stop crying. Your makeup will smear," she ordered.

Draco stood in the Slytherin dormitory with Blaise, adjusting his tie. "Merlin, I'm nervous," he confessed.

Blaise chuckled. "It's to be expected. You're getting married. And your life will be hell."

Draco glared. "That's not helping."

"Well, it's true!" Blaise said defensively. "Wives are bossy and angry all the time."

"Not Hermione," said Draco. "Hermione is relatively laid-back."

"Right," Blaise snorted. "Come on, you need to get in there. You don't want her waiting at the altar. Girls hate that."

"You would know," muttered Draco.

"Funny," Blaise smirked. "Hey, is your dad coming?"

"No," replied Draco. "He wanted us to stop seeing each other. We didn't send him an invitation."

"Oh," said Blaise. "Well I'd bet my broomstick he won't just let this happen. He'll try and stop it."

"I know," Draco sighed. "That's what worries me. The sooner she's near me and I can protect her, the better."

"Come on, he'd never hurt his only child," Blaise scoffed.

"Yes, but I'm worried for Hermione's sake," Draco replied. "My father would hurt any Muggle-born, especially the one I love."

Hermione composed herself by the time they reached the entrance hall. Fred and George were on either side of the door as ushers. Blaise was waiting for Ginny near the door.

"Listen, you, don't you hex her or trip her or anything, got it?" Harry said warningly.

Zabini rolled his eyes. "I'm here to see my best mate get married, just like you guys. I'm not gonna do anything."

"Well, fine," said Harry grudgingly. "You guys are up."

The music they had selected for the bridal party was playing. Hermione focused on keeping her breathing steady. "You can do this," Harry whispered, taking her arm.

Suddenly, the music changed, and the bridal march swelled as the doors opened.

Everyone in the Hall stood and turned to face her as she began to walk down the aisle. She looked past the faces, the flowers, the white satin runner, until she saw him.

Draco's face lit up as he saw her. His eyes shone in a way that she had never seen before. She smiled back as she and Harry approached the front.

At last, she was standing in front of him. Harry placed Hermione's hand carefully in Draco's and kissed her on the cheek before sitting down.

The minister began the "We are gathered here today" speech that had been spoken so many times. Hermione and Draco were gazing into each others' eyes, smiling.

The minister spoke again. "If there is anyone present who presents a viable reason that these two people should not be bound in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"We object!" roared a voice at the back as the doors slammed open.


	14. Chapter 14: The Fight

Chapter Fourteen: The Fight

Lucius Malfoy stormed in, accompanied by a small group of witches and wizards: Pansy Parkinson, Astoria Greengrass, Marcus Flint, Theodore Nott, Viktor Krum, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"No," Draco whispered, pushing Hermione behind him.

"This thing is not marrying my son," Lucius hissed. "I will not permit it!"

"It isn't up to you, Father, it's my choice!" Draco said loudly. "Now leave!"

"Now!" bellowed Lucius.

His little team sprang into action, drawing their wands.

Immediately, Draco, Hermione, Ginny, Blaise, Harry, and a few guests-mostly Weasleys-followed suit.

"STUPEFY!" screeched Pansy, pointing her wand at Ginny, who deflected the curse. Harry shot a body-bind curse at Goyle, but missed and hit Neville Longbottom.

Draco had begun to duel his father. Harry and Goyle, Ginny and Pansy, Fred and Flint, and George and Nott were all locked in combat. Most of the guests were running away, screaming.

"Come vith me," snarled a voice in Hermione's ear. A pair of arms picked her up and began carrying her towards the door.

"No!" she shrieked. "Draco!"

As Arthur Weasley Darted forward to take over the battle against Lucius, Draco turned to see his bride being borne towards the exit by Viktor Krum.

"Viktor! Put me down!" she screamed.

"No," he growled. "I love you. You are coming bact to Bulgaria vith me, and you vill be MY wife."

"No!" she screamed, fighting him. "Petrificus Totalus!"

He went rigid and dropped like a stone. A second, much stronger pair of arms grabbed her. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as she recognized her attacker, the man who had attacked her in Knockturn Alley.

"Hermione!" Draco roared, coming to her rescue. He pried Crabbe's arms loose and shouted at her. "Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" As Hermione turned to run, she saw Ginny hitting Pansy with the Bat-Bogey Hex, Fred Stunning Flint, George taking down Nott, and Harry bringing down Goyle. But where were Mr. Malfoy and Astoria?

Something was wrong. Most of the little group was fallen, save Crabbe, and Lucius and Astoria, who were nowhere to be seen. Hermione knew that Lucius wouldn't just give up and run; she had to warn Draco, who appeared to be losing.

"Dr-" was all she got out before Lucius and Astoria were in front of her, backing her into a corner.

"Get away from me!" she cried out in terror.

Astoria smiled. "You didn't really believe we'd let you marry Draco, did you?" she purred, a catlike grin spreading across her face. "I am not about to let the man of my dreams marry some Mudblood when he could have me instead!"

"Looks like your time's run out, Mudblood," drawled Lucius.

Astoria smiled as she raised her wand. "Avada-"

"STUPEFY!"

Astoria collapsed, and Hermione saw that Draco was standing a few feet away, wand outstretched.

"Get away from her," he snarled at his father. All the guests who had remained and had been fighting stood there with him, all their wands directed at Lucius.

"Draco, listen to me!" Lucius snapped. "Look at her! You don't deserve someone like that!"

"You're right," Draco said quietly. "I don't deserve anyone like her. I don't deserve anyone that perfect. But for whatever reason, she loves me as much as I love her, and you're not going to stand between us."

Lucius glared at his son. "I will get her. Eventually. I won't stand for this!"

Suddenly, he turned, spit on Hermione's face, and Disapparated.

Draco rushed to Hermione, who was shaking with fright and slightly disheveled, but otherwise unharmed. "Are you all right?" he asked, wiping her cheek with a handkerchief.

She nodded. "Are you?"

Draco nodded. "Of course. It'd take more than that to beat me," he said with a smile. "Now let's get married."


	15. Chapter 15: The Party

Chapter Fifteen: The Party

The wedding bells rang two and a half hours later, after everyone had done themselves up again and the guests had all returned. Hermione smiled as she held her new husband's hand. "I love you."

"Funny, I had no idea. I was wondering why you were here dressed up and looking like a princess," Draco teased as the Hall transformed into the area where they would have their party.

"Oh, I don't look like a princess," she muttered.

"You're right," said Draco. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You're much more beautiful."

He grinned at her blush. "There it is."

"I don't like you," she muttered.

"Hey, it's not my fault you have a complex," he said. "Don't cry, it's just teasing."

She smiled innocently at him. "Keep it up, and I'll give you something to cry about."

"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, I heard Blaise saying how badly he wants a girlfriend..." She let her words hang there.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Draco said, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into his lap as she made to get up.

She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Hey, think it's time for us to dance," Draco said, standing up and reaching for her hand.

Hermione went white. "No!"

"Why not?" Draco asked, nonplussed as she pulled away from him.

"I can't dance," she confessed quietly.

"Don't worry, silly girl," he told her. "I can."

"No!" she whispered as he pulled her to her feet. "I'll look like an idiot!"

"It's all right," he whispered. "I'll be there the whole time."

Eventually, after a few minutes' coaxing, she allowed herself to be led to the dance floor. Everyone applauded as they began to dance.

"Wait, how am I doing this?" Hermione as she twirled effortlessly.

"Ginny told me she knew you had dancing problems. She told me she would put a charm on you that would make you dance well."

"Oh, did she?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding," he chuckled. "You got your shoes from that little place in Diagon Alley, right?"

"Yes, but how-"

"They have charms on their shoes that allow the wearer to dance, run, and, for whatever reason, Irish stepdance."

"Oh. I forgot about that. It said that on the box."

Draco smiled. "Great! Now we can go out dancing on weekends!"

"Don't count on it," she replied.

He grinned. "I figured you'd say that."

"You know me so well," she said with a smile.

"Is that a problem?" he asked, grinning.

"Well, it could be, because I'm planning on sneaking out with Blaise later, and I'm afraid you'll catch me," she teased.

He narrowed his eyes at her mischievous expression. "You're not going anywhere, Mrs. Malfoy," he growled good-naturedly, accentuating his words with a kiss.

"Greedy."

"That's me," he said, holding her closer. "I love you."

She threw his earlier words back at him. "Funny, I had no idea. I was wondering why you were up there looking like a penguin."

"Oh, you think you're so cute, don't you?" he muttered.

"It's your fault I have a complex," she said sternly. "You're the one who keeps telling me how wonderful I am."

"What, do you want me to lie?"

"You ever lie to me, and you're sleeping on the couch," she replied.

"Fine. You're the most stubborn, bossy pain in the ass I have ever met," he said.

Her expression told him that she was hurt, but he wasn't done. "You are also the most brilliant, incredible, breathtakingly beautiful woman I have ever been lucky enough to meet, and I can't believe I'm lucky to get to spend the rest of my life with you."

Hermione smiled and kissed him. "I love you, Draco."

"I love you more," he replied, holding her close in his arms.

They danced alone for four more songs before Harry and Ginny joined them. Then Fred and his wife Angelina, George and Katie, Bill and Fleur, and Percy and his wife Penelope.

"Can we sit? My feet are killing me," Hermione said.

"I think it's time for speeches anyway," said Draco.

"You're right," said Hermione as Blaise stood. The room grew quiet.

"Okay, so first off, being Best Man is an honor, don't get me wrong, but being Best Man means making a corny, sappy speech, which is just as desirable as kissing a Blast-Ended Skrewt. So here goes nothing.

"Draco, you've been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I'm glad to see that you've found a woman who won't run away screaming. As a matter of fact, I'm shocked. But that's not the point!" he added hastily as Draco glared and Hermione suppressed a smile with great difficulty. "Draco, I just want to tell you how happy I am for you, and I wish you both all the luck, love, and happiness in the world. Draco, take Hermione's hand and put yours on top of it."

Draco did so, gazing into her eyes.

"Now," Blaise continued, "remember this moment in your heart. Because this is the last time you will have the upper hand with this one."

"Damn right," said Hermione, and everyone laughed, even Draco.

"Anyway, good luck. You'll need lots of it."

Everyone applauded as Blaise sat down. Then Ginny stood. "All right, people, now it's time for the good speech. Hermione, when I first met you, I thought you were the best, and hoped we could be friends. Now, we're practically sisters. I love you, and I hope that you have an amazing new life with Draco.

"As for you, ferret," she went on. "I'm glad you make Hermione happy and that you two are all lovey dovey, but if you hurt her, you can fully expect me to kick your ass."

"Love you too, Freckles," he called amidst the laughter and catcalls.

Finally, it was Draco's turn to talk. "Okay. You guys have to cut me a little slack, because I suck at speeches too. Hermione, when I first met you, I couldn't stand you. I used to dream about you being expelled, or being eaten by the giant squid. You were the last person in the world I ever expected to fall in love with.

"Then, a few months ago, everything changed. I saw you crying, and it melted all the cold feelings I'd had for you since day one. I allowed my heart to feel it's true feelings, and now look at us. We are husband and wife, and you mean everything to me. I love you, Hermione. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are the woman of my dreams and the love of my life."

"Awwww," the guests said in unison as tears filled Hermione's eyes.

"I love you," she said as he sat down and mindless chatter broke out again.

"I love you more," he replied. "I love you so much. You mean everything to me. When I thought Crabbe was going to hurt you again, I was just nuts, I couldn't think straight. And when my father cornered you, and said he was going to kill you, I knew that if you died, I would be following soon after. I can't live without you."

Hermione buried her face in his chest. "I was so scared," she whispered. "I thought he was going to kill me!"

"He was planning on it," said Draco. "But even if he had tried, I wouldn't have let him. I would have protected you at all costs."

Hermione looked up at him with teary eyes. "You would do that for me?"

"Without a second thought," he assured her with a kiss.

Shortly, it was time to cut the cake. As it was cut, the two sugar phoenixes on top took flight, just as they had at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Then there was the bouquet toss. Hermione threw it over her head, and the bouquet found its way into the hands of Luna Lovegood. Draco removed the garter from Hermione's leg with his teeth (Harry, Fred, George, and Blaise howled with laughter as Hermione turned scarlet) and shot it into the air before it dropped into the fingers of Neville, who had been released of his Body-Bind Curse.

They danced for a few more songs, then it was time for them to leave for Hawaii. They said goodbyes, gave hugs, and then Disapparated to begin their new life together.


	16. Chapter 16: Positive

Chapter Sixteen: Positive

Hermione Malfoy sat at the kitchen table, rubbing her forehead. She had been working on this case for over three hours. It was giving her a headache, and all she wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep.

She stood and went to the kitchen, looking at the clock to see what time it was, and approximately how long it would be before Draco came home. They had been married for four wonderful months, and he was constantly on her mind.

Only noon. Four more hours. Since she was hungry, she began searching in the refrigerator for something to have for lunch. She thought about making a turkey wrap.

Suddenly, she was nauseous, and she sprinted to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet.

She rinsed her mouth out after she was finished. What was that? she thought. I was fine thirty seconds ago. What's going on?

Four hours later, Draco arrived home. She smiled and rose to greet him with a hug and kiss. "How was work?"

"Too long," he replied wearily. "You?"

"Same. Some days I just want to up and quit."

"You can, if you want. We can afford it."

"No, I was born to bustle. If I quit, it's going to be because I have a baby to take care of."

Draco smiled. "You're silly. But that's part of the reason I'm so madly in love with you."

Hermione smiled back. "I'll have you know that I-" She stopped abruptly. Her head was spinning. Draco's face was growing darker and fuzzier. Then, it was zooming away as everything faded away.

"Hermione!" Draco was kneeling at her side in an instant. He slid his left arm under her shoulders and elevated her head, neck, and shoulders carefully. "Hermione! Come on, don't do this, wake up, please wake up!"

After a few minutes, her eyelids fluttered open. "Draco?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" he said, holding her close.

"Wha-What happened?"

"You fainted, love," he told her. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the couch, where he set her down carefully. "We were talking, and you just fainted."

"I...I don't know what's happening!" she whimpered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, today, around lunchtime, I got nauseous and threw up. Now I've fainted," she explained in a terrified voice. "I've never fainted before."

"Shhh, it's okay. If it happens again, we can take you to St. Mungo's. All right?"

"Okay," she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her and could feel her shaking with fear. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest.

After a few minutes, she spoke again. "Oh, my God!"

"What?" Draco asked, alarmed as she sat up suddenly.

"Oh, God, I think I know what it could be!"

"What?"

She didn't answer. "Do we have any Muggle money?"

"Yeah, a bit in the box on the kitchen counter, but-hey!" he protested as she ran to the kitchen.

He followed, and found her putting the contents of the box in her pocket. "What are you doing?"

"I'll be right back, I'm going to the supermarket up the street! It'll take me like ten minutes!"

"Wait, why?"

"Trust me!" she called as she pulled the door shut.

Draco was puzzled, and even more so when she ran to the bathroom the second she was back.

"Hermione, is everything okay?"

"Yes, I'll be out in a minute."

He stood outside the door until she emerged, white-faced. He grabbed her shoulders. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispered, staring straight ahead.

"Are you all right?"

She wordlessly held up something in her hand. It was a small white stick. The end of it had the word 'positive' printed on it blue letters.

"What is that?" Draco asked, puzzled, since he'd never seen one before.

"It's a Muggle pregnancy test," she choked out. "I'm pregnant."

"What?"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, looking at him. "We're going to have a baby."

"Oh, my God," Draco whispered, stunned. "We're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby!" she cried, tears filling her eyes.

"We're having a baby!" Draco shouted, picking her up and spinning her around.

Hermione laughed joyfully, kissing him when he set her down. "We're having a baby!" she sang.

Draco picked her up and sat down on the couch, holding her in his lap. "What do you think it's going to be?"

"I dont know. I don't care whether it's a boy or a girl. As long as he or she is healthy, I'll be happy."

Draco put his lips to her ear. "Well I hope it's a girl."

Hermione looked at him. "I figured you'd want a boy. Most men want their oldest to be a son."

"I want it to be a girl. Mommy's little angel, Daddy's little princess," Draco said with a smile.

Hermione smiled as he kissed her. Life was perfect.


	17. Chapter 17: Argument

Chapter Seventeen: Argument

Hermione stood at the kitchen counter, rubbing her back. She was now eight months along in her pregnancy. She stirred the pan of eggs and turned the bacon on the stove. It was eight o'clock, and she was cooking breakfast for herself and Draco.

The latter entered the kitchen quickly. "Morning," he said, giving her a quick kiss as he headed for the door, practically at a run.

"Wait, I made breakfast!" she called as he started shoving papers into his briefcase.

"No time!" he flung at her in his hurry.

"If you don't like my cooking, you can say it to my face," she bristled, putting her hands on her hips as her temper took over.

"Hermione, I love your cooking! I ate most of the pot of spaghetti the other night!" he tried to reason with her. "I'm running late, I don't even have time for coffee!"

"So you don't like my coffee, either!" she snapped. "God, what else do you hate about me? I bet you were lying when you said you hoped the baby would be exactly like me! I bet you hope it's like you, because it's all about you, you, you! I bet you forgot that our anniversary is on Friday!"

"No! Hermione, I-"

"God, you're so selfish!" she continued. "I do everything for you, do you realize that?"

"YOU do everything for ME?" Draco shouted, his own temper getting the better of him. "You think you do more for me than I do for you? Who goes to work and earns a living to provide for you and the baby? I do! Who brings home little presents for you just because? I do! Who is out at all hours getting you Chocolate Frogs, or Licorice Wands, or whatever the hell else you're craving? I DO!"

"Just go!" she screamed, red-faced. "Get out! I can't stand to look at you right now!"

"Fine!" he snapped. Without another word, he slammed the door behind him and Apparated to his office. Bloody hormones, he thought angrily.

As soon as he landed, he saw a picture on his desk of Hermione on his back, piggyback style, with her arms around his neck, both of them laughing.

He immediately felt guilty for shouting at her and storming out, knowing she couldn't help it. Hell, he'd probably do the same thing in her shoes. He would have gone home and apologized, but Kingsley Shacklebolt entered his office, asking a question.

His apology would have to wait until lunch.

Hermione flung herself on their bed, sobbing. She had regretted her words the instant the door had slammed. She had run and opened the door to catch him before he left, but she had been too late.

And now she had ruined everything. A knot in her stomach-the one she got when she was about to be in trouble, even if she didn't know she was-told her that he had left her for good. She was sure of it.

After an hour, she remembered that the door was unlocked. She went to go lock it before a prowler decided to start sneaking around their house.

When she got to the door, she saw that it was already tightly shut and locked. Hmm. Maybe I did lock it, she thought.

No, I didn't! she realized with a start. I pounded on the door, then ran to the bedroom! I didn't lock it!

The hairs on the back of her neck were prickling now, and she wished that Draco was here with her. She looked for her wand on the counter where she had put it. It wasn't there, and she knew without a doubt that that was where she had left it.

Someone was in the house. She could feel it. "Draco?" she called, though she knew it wasn't him.

A floorboard creaked in the next room, and she jumped violently. She wasn't alone.

She flew to the door and tried to unlock it, but it was sealed with magic. She was trapped.

Footsteps were slowly, quietly making their way towards the doorway. She turned to face the intruder, her knees knocking.

He entered after a few seconds.

It was Lucius Malfoy.


	18. Chapter 18: Attacked

Chapter Eighteen: Attacked

She opened her mouth to scream-not that anyone who could help her would be able to hear her-but Lucius pointed his wand at the door. "Muffliato."

Hermione backed into the door, trembling as he approached her.

He pointed his wand at her. "Get in the living room. Now!" he barked. The wand emitted a bang, and she shrieked, darting into the living room.

Lucius followed, tripping her with a flick of his wand. She cried out as her head hit the coffee table and began to bleed.

"Crucio!" Lucius shouted. She began writhing in agony, screaming as the curse hit her.

He let her scream for a few minutes, then lifted the curse. She lay there, shivering on the floor and crying. He walked closer and placed a black-booted foot on her swollen stomach.

"Guess what, Mudblood," he whispered, leaning down. "When I'm done with you, you and that filthy thing inside you are both going to be memories of a marriage gone wrong. I heard your little fight earlier. When Draco gets home, he'll find a suicide note from you. Written by you. Imperio!"

Hermione rose, smoothly and gracefully. She walked to the kitchen and picked up a parchment and quill and began to write, the words automatically coming to her mind based on what Lucius wanted written.

"Draco," she wrote.

"After our fight, I realized I was stupid to think that we could ever be together. You leaving me was inevitable, and I am glad you did before I could further rub more of my Mudblood filth into your life.

"As for this thing I am carrying, you do not deserve to have a chunk of dirt for a child. I want you to marry Astoria. She deserves you much more than I do, because I am filth. Lower than filth. I am a Mudblood. And within an hour, I will be a dead Mudblood."

She set the quill down and went back to the living room, feeling his summons pull at her mind.

"Very good," he purred. "Finite Incantatem."

She broke out of her reverie as the curse lifted. "Please, leave me alone!" she cried as she fell to the ground.

He smiled. "Oh, the fun has just begun."

Two hours later, though it seemed like eternity to her, Hermione was lying nearly unconscious on the floor, bleeding badly. Lucius stood over her, a knife in his hand. He smiled as her cries rang through the room.

"I think... I'll get rid of the baby first," he said. He started towards her.

Draco shoved his papers into his briefcase and stood from his desk. It was time to go make things right with his wife.


	19. Chapter 19: Rescued Again

Chapter Nineteen: Rescued Again

He Disapparated at once, landing in the kitchen. He heard Hermione's cries coming from the living room, and he ran to the doorway.

His father was bending over his wife, a knife in his hand. Draco was frozen in shock for a moment, but then once his father made to slice open her stomach, he sprang into action. "Avada Kedavra!" he roared, directing his wand at his father.

Lucius fell to the ground, dead. The knife clattered across the floor.

"Hermione!" Draco cried, running to her side. He tried to lift her and set her on the couch, but the instant he touched her, she let out an earsplitting scream and began thrashing wildly.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed. "PLEASE, STOP HURTING ME!"

"Hermione, Hermione, it's Draco!" he yelled. "Hermione, look at me!"

Her streaming brown eyes wheeled, then locked on his. "Draco," she breathed.

"I'm here, Hermione, I'm here," he said, his voice breaking. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry!"

He lifted her carefully in his arms and Apparated to St. Mungo's.

He landed in the middle of their emergency wing. Four Healers immediately rushed to his side. They levitated the now-unconscious Hermione onto a gurney. Three whisked her away, and one stayed back to get the story.

"It was my father," Draco said shakily. "I don't know for sure what happened, but I think he broke into our house. He was torturing her when I got home, and was bending over her with a knife." His voice broke. "I don't care about the cost. I don't care if I go broke to pay for it, just please, save my wife!" He broke down and began sobbing, not knowing what to do. It was his fault, all his fault. At that moment, he wasn't even concerned about the baby. He just wanted his angel, his darling wife, his Hermione to be all right.

Draco sat in a chair in the waiting room, his head in his hands, praying that she would be all right.

A Ministry official came shortly and said that Draco was not going to be punished for killing his father, given the circumstances under which he had done it. Draco was too lost in panic and worry to care.

Finally, after two hours or so, a tired looking Healer came up to him. "Are you here for Hermione Malfoy?"

"Yes," said Draco, rising quickly. "Is she all right?"

"She had some major injuries, but we have repaired all of them. She's asleep now, you can go in and see her."

"And the baby?"

"We had to deliver the baby an hour ago, because your wife's injuries were so critical. She was unconscious, so she won't know."

"Can I see Hermione now?" Draco begged.

"Certainly." The Healer led him to her room, and he rushed to her side.

"Oh, thank Merlin," he whispered, taking her hand.

"We gave her a potion for dreamless sleep before we fixed her," said the Healer. "She'll wake up in a little while." And with that, he was gone.

Draco sat beside his wife, holding her hand and staring at her face, which was peaceful now.

After several minutes, she stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. "Draco?"

"Oh, Hermione!" he gasped. "Oh, I'm so glad you're all right!"

"Wha...where is he?" Hermione cried, clutching at Draco.

"Who?" he asked, alarmed.

"Your father!" she wailed. "Oh, I was so scared!"

"What did he do to you?" Draco asked, trying to contain his fury.

"He used the Cruciatus Curse on me for hours. He made me write a suicide note to make it look like I killed myself. I was so scared!" she cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"It's all right, Hermione. He's dead. He can't hurt you."

"He's... He's dead? But how?" she asked.

"When I came into the living room, he was standing over you with a knife, about to stab you, so I...I just did what I had to do to protect you."

Her hands moved to her stomach, which was flat now. "No," she whispered.

"What?"

"The baby." She closed her eyes, and tears spilled over. "No," she moaned. "No, not again, not again!" She began sobbing.

"Shh, Hermione, look at me, look at me, love," said Draco softly. When he met her gaze with tearful eyes, he cupped her face in his hands. "The baby is fine. They had to deliver it today, because of your injuries. The baby is fine."

She began crying again, this time of joy. "Oh, Draco!" she cried, clinging to him again. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I didn't ask yet, I was worried about you," Draco told her, kissing her forehead. He pressed the call button in her room, and a Healer appeared in short order. "May I help you?"

"We'd like to see our baby," Draco told her. "Can we?"

"Absolutely, I'll be right back," she said.

"I wanted us to find out together," Draco said as the Healer left. "I wanted us to celebrate together."

Hermione smiled. A few minutes later, the Healer returned with a little basket on top of a cart.

"Oh!" Hermione whispered, clutching at Draco. "Oh, look!"

The Healer lifted a small bundle from the basket. "Say hello to your baby girl," she smiled, placing the baby in Hermione's arms.

Hermione smiled down at the baby. "Hi, sweetheart," she cooed, her voice breaking. "I'm your mommy." She pressed a kiss to her small forehead. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked, smiling at Draco.

Draco nodded, unable to speak. She carefully handed the baby over to her father.

Tears flooded Draco's eyes as he gazed down at his daughter. Her cheeks were soft and pink. He could tell that her hair was going to be blonde, like his. She opened her tiny eyes and looked at him. Her eyes were the exact shade of chocolate brown as her mother's.

"Oh, she's beautiful," Draco whispered. "Just like her mommy."

"What should we name her?" asked Hermione.

"You pick, I suck at names," he replied with a smile.

"How about... Meaghan," Hermione said. "Meaghan Rose Malfoy."

"It's perfect," Draco said.

As he held their baby girl in his arms, Hermione watched. "I have a question," she said suddenly. "That day in the cemetery-you said your mother was buried there, and she's not, and then you were at Ron's grave. Why?"

Draco was quiet for a moment. "Because I lied to you earlier. I didn't just love you since then. I've loved you since I first set eyes on you in first year, and I acted otherwise because I was scared that you would reject me because I was in Slytherin and you were in Gryffindor. I was thanking him for saving your life. Remember, he saved you from Bellatrix at my father's house. I hate myself for having stood by and letting them hurt you. It tore at my heart, but if I'd tried to protect you, they would have killed you for sure. My father didn't remember you. And I couldn't live in a world where you didn't exist."

Tears were in her eyes as she leaned to kiss him. "I love you," she said as he handed Meaghan back to her.

Draco held his wife and daughter in his arms, thinking that life couldn't be more perfect.


	20. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Kids, dinner's ready!" shouted Hermione from the back door.

Christopher was first to the door, closely followed by his older sisters, Meaghan and Ivy. Draco brought up the rear. Their youngest, Claire, was riding on his back.

"Whew! I tell you, these animals are going to run me to death!" Draco said, plopping Claire in her seat at the table. "Our boy here has the makings of a good Beater!"

The girls giggled, and Christopher puffed out his chest proudly.

"I'd say Ivy's a Chaser," Draco said, looking at his second daughter, who looked exactly like him.

"But our girl Claire...she's a Seeker. She is going to win Slytherin the Quidditch Cup!"

"Gryffindor," corrected Hermione.

Draco chuckled. "Whatever you say, dear."

Hermione grinned smugly. "See? Blaise told you that would be the last time you had the upper hand."

"Yeah, well, he said marriage sucks. Explain how it sucks so bad if we have four kids?"

"Little ears," Hermione scolded. "Come on, everyone sit before the food gets cold."

They sat down around the table and began to eat.

"Christopher, don't be a pig!" scolded Draco as his son began inhaling his food. "You'll get fat, and how will a broom ever hold you?" Hermione nearly laughed as she recalled for the first time how she had wondered if the sharp tone he used with her when she had been injured was the tone he would use to scold his children. What she hadn't ever imagined was that they wouldn't be his children—they would be _their _children.

After a few minutes, Claire asked them to tell the story of how they had met.

Draco looked at Hermione. "You take this one."

She smiled and squeezed her husband's hand. The loving look she received melted her heart, and she knew that she had found true love.

Love that would last forever.


End file.
